Nonrun knitted fabric



Sept. 27, 1932. D. slEGYEL. 1,880,158

NONRUN KN ITTED FABRI C inleg May e, 1932 2 sheets-sheet 1 llllllllllllll l um i Dau id E2) eelj INVENTOR l' l' 'TORNEY sept. 27, 1932.

D. SI'EGEL NONRUN KNITTED FABRIC vFiled May 6. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmgmm Ua d NSUNVENTOR ATTORNEY SYM Patented Sept.- 27, 1932` UNITED STATES DAVID SIEGEL, 0F WEEHLAWKEN, NEW JERSEY NONRUN. KNITTED FABRIC Application filed May 6, 1932. Serial No. 609,712.

My invention relates to a knitted fabric and a method of making the same, the principal object of the inventioibeing to provlde a non-run plain-knitted fabric. The term plain-knitted fabric is used in this speeliication to distinguish on the one hand from warp fabrics which have a plurality of yarns running substantially lengthwlse of thecloth and shogged laterally so as to be lnterkmt with other Warp yarns, and on the other hand to distinguish from rib fabric or other spec1a1 fabrics, the term indicating substantlally such fabrics as are made by a single serles of needles each forming loops successively from a yarn or yarns fed continuously to a series of needles in succession so as to be knitted into courses running crossWise of a flat knitted fabric or round and'round in the case of a tubular fabric. a

When a stitch is broken in a plain-knitted fabric the continuity of a Wale is interrupted and usually the successive concatenated loops slip successively out of one another, so making what is known as a run or ladder. S uch plain-knitted fabrics are sometimes provlded vwith anti-run courses to stop runs. Warp fabrics are usually substantially or entirely free from runs and ribbed fabrics Arun in one direction only, but plain-knitted fabrics run either up or down the Wale and commonly run very freely, particularly when made from slippery yarns such as silk or rayon yarns. The fabric of my invention is distinguished from other plain-knitted fabrics by the fact that it does not run even under very rough treatment after a break in a Waley or wales. It will tear but Will not run.

Perhaps the most serious objection to the use of plain-knitted fabric, especially in garments made from sheer fabric of silk or rayon yarn, is the tendency to run and so spoil the appearance of the garment. My method of knitting provides for the first time, so far as known to me, a plain-knitted fabric that can be made on an ordinary plain-knitting machine and which is run-proof in every part of`the fabric or the garment made therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to pro- Y vide a non-run fabric of the character described which will be light in Weight and thus suitable for use in the manufacture of light- Weight underwear, pajamas, dress goods, etc. Referring to the drawings, which are' made a part of this application and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts: Figure 1 is a plan on a greatly enlarged scale showing one side of the fabric;

Figure 2, a similar view showing the opposite side; Figure 8, a developed diagram of needle cams for three feeds viewed from the outside;

Figure 4, a similar diagram of the remain-- ing cams for a set of six feeds;

Figure 5, a vertical section through a portion of a circular independent needle machine on which the fabric has been made; and

Figures 6 and 7, sections respectivelyon lines 6 6 of Fig. 4 and 7-7 of Figure 3, illustrating the position of the needles with respect lto certain needle cams.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 which illustrateA the fabric structure made .ona -multiple-feed circular machine having inthe second, fourth, sixth and eighth wales,

etc., these being hereinafter designated as intervening Wales. The yarn 12 of the third feed is also knitted in alternate wales and floated across the intervening wales. The yarn 13 of the fourth feed is knitted in every Wale, but the loop structure is somewhat different from yarn 10 Which was also knitted in every Wale, for reasons Which will appear hereinafter. The yarnlitis knitted in the intervening wales and floats across the alternate wales at the front ofthe fabric, and the yarn 15 is similarly knitted in the intervening wales and floated .across the alternate Wales at the front of the fabric.

In the form of my invention at present preferred, the feeds are arranged in sets of siX,l and` therefore the above-described courses form a repeat in the fabric which is followed by another repeat consisting of yarns 10 to 15, each similarly knitted or floated as in the case of the series above described.

I have shown in the drawings portions of a multiple-feed circular independent spring needle knitting machine, this machine comprising a rotary needle cylinder 16 on a frame 17 which also supports a fixed cam carrier 18 carrying the needle'cams for reciprocating needles 19 to knit a fabric,l it being immaterial, however, whether the needle cylinder or the cam carrier rotates. The needles are arranged in two sets, one set having longbutts 2O and the other set having short butt-s 21 as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the series consisting of shortv butt and long butt needles occurring in alternation. At each feed there is a set of needle cams. At such a feed as indicated at the left in Figure 3, there is a needle-raising cam 22 for elevating all the needles, as indicated by the two bro (en lines, the dotted line indicating the course of travel of the butts of the short butt needles and the dash line indicatingthe course of travel of the butts of the long butt needles. Cam 22 is followed by cam`24, the butts of the short butt needlesA passing along the top of a ledge indicated at 25 and not being elevated sutliciently to take the arn, but holding their old loops. The long utt needles which are elevated by cam 24 take a new yarn at this feed, e. g. yarn 11 of vFigures 1 and 2, and are then drawn down by a stitch cam 26 to draw loops of yarn 11 in alternate wales. The stitch cam 26 is suiiiciently lower than cam 23 to cause the alternate needles to draw loops materially longer than the loops drawn by cam 23 at the first feed. The short butt needles which now hold loops of yarn 10 drawn in a previous course also move down slightly because the ledge 25 is higher than the lower end of the cam 26, but this movement has no functional significance except insofar as such depression of the needles causes them to rob the stitches that have been knitted off the long butt needles. In other words, the pull of a short butt needle on the yarn of one or both of the stitches in adjacent wales, which stitches are of the` same yarn and which have just been knitted off their needles, lengthens the stitch which is still on a short butt needle and shortens correspondingly the stitch just knitted off the preceding long butt needle and possibly also the stitch cast off from the long butt needle next in order in the needle row. The needles now pass to the third feed, shown at the right of Figure 3, where the long butt needlesare elevated as at the second feed, while the short butt needles are not elevated, so that only the long butt needles knit the yarn 12 which is floated at the intervening wales. The elevating cam is shown at 27, the ledge for the idle needles at 28, and the stitch cam at 29. Stitch cam 29 is materially shorter or higher than stitch cam 23, so as to draw relativelyshort and tight stitches, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Feed 4 is provided with a cam 30 for elevating all the needles and a stitch cam 31 for causing all the needles to draw loops of yarn 13, cam 31 drawing loops of the same length as cam 23 at the first feed.

It is noted as to yarns 13 and 10 that a course consists of long stitches alternating with short, tight stitches, this being for the reason that one loop is held while the adjacent'ones are knitted off and so robs said adjacent loops of part of their yarn, the long loops of one yarn occurring in intervening the long butt needles are depressed by cam 33, which cam is thin so as to permit the short butt needles to pass by it as illustrated in Figure 6. After the sho-rt butt needles pass the cam 33 and take the yarn 14, they are drawn down by stitch cam 34 and so form loops in the intervening wales, while the yarn 14 floats at the front of the fabric in the alternate wales. The stitch cam 34 is of the same length as stitch cam 26 so that the stitches drawn in the course formed by yarn 14 are relatively long and loose as compared with those in the preceding course,

whereas those formed in the following course are materially shorter than those fdrmed at the fourth feed from yarn 13.

The sixth feed is 'similar to the iifth in that all the needles are elevated by a cam 35 and the long butt needles are lowered by a cam 36, after which the short .butt needles take yarn and are lowered to draw their loops of yarn' 15 by stitch cam 37, the yarn floating on the front of the fabric across the alternate wales. It will be noted in Figures 1 and 2 that the stitches of yarn 15 are relatively short and tight. This feature of the invention appears to be of primary importance in causing the fabric to have its nonrun characteristic, it being my opinion that by reason of the short stitches of yarns 12 ioo and 15 and the alternate short and tight stitches of yarns 10 and 13, the necks of the longer stitches are so closely compressed as immediately to arrest any incipient run and so to prevent any running of the fabric which,

as previously stated, will tear but will not run.

pearance and this may be further taken advantage of for the production of novel and desirable effectsl by the use of yarns differing in color or character, or by using cheaper and stronger yarns as binders in combination with more expensive and ornamental yarns for theouter covering, thus 'securing a sort ofplated effect. Guard cams, such as shown lat 38, are provided at appropriate points on the camring. Y

In addition to the parts above described, the machine "is vprovided with-a sinker bed 39 for sinkers 40, which sinker bed also forms part of the supporting means for pressers 41. Posts 42 on the support for the cani ring carry sinker cams 43 and means for actuating the pressers, all as known to those skilled in the art.c

I have shown and described a preferred form of fabric and machine for making the same but it will be obvious-to those skilled in the art that the fabric may be made on machines of othery types than that illus.

trated, e. g., on latch-needle machines either circular or flat, on straight machines with fixed needles, etc. It will also be obvious that changes may be made iff the machine and the fabric all without departing from the spirit of my invention; therefore I do not limit' myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

It will be understood that in practice the dierence in operation of the various stitch cams will ordinarily be secured by adjustment of the cams, although it is also feasible to extend them downward to 'various distances in the machine as originally manu-- factured, if desired.

lf claim: y Y

` 1. A method of knitting a non-run fabric in repeats on a multiple-feed knitting machine comprising drawing loo s of yarn of intermediate length on all need es at one feed, knitting a course with long'stitches in alternate needles at a second feed and floating the yarn across intervening Wales, knitting a course with short tight stitches on said alternate needles at a third feed and floating the yarn across intervening Wales, drawing loops of yarn of intermediate length on all needles at the fourth feed. knitting a course with long stitches on intervening needles at a fifth feed and floating the yarn across alternate wales, and knitting a course with short tight stitches on said intervening needles. at a sixth feed and floating the yarn across the alternate wales.

2. A method of knitting a non-run fabric in repeats on a multiple-feed knitting machine comprising drawing loops of yarn of intermediate length in all wales at one feed, knitting a course with longstitches in alternate wales at a second feed and floating. the yarn across intervening wales, knitting a course with short tight stitches in said alternate Walesat a third feed and floating the yarn across the intervening wales, drawing loops of intermediate length in all wales in aI fourth feed, knitting a course with long stitches in intervening wales at a fifth .feed and floating the yarn across alternate wales, andknitting a course with short tight stitches in intervening wales at a sixth feed While floating the yarn across alternate wales, the sets of floats being in staggered relation and there being an equal number of stitches in each Wale.

'3. A` non-run plain-knitted fabric comprising a yarn knitted at each of a series of wales in a course', two yarns knitted in alternate wales and floated across the intervening wales, said last-named yarns being each individual to a course, a yarn knitted in each wale of a course, and two yarns knitted in intervening Wales `only and floated over alternate wales, each of said last-named yarns being individual to a course, the stitches of the second andfifth courses being relatively long and loose and the stitches of the third and sixth courses being short and tight, while those of the first and fourth courses are in'- termediate the others in length and tightness.

4. A non-run plain-knitted fabric comprising a yarn knitted ateach of a series of wales in a course, two yarns knitted in alternate wales and floated across the intervening wales, said last-named yarns being veach individual to a course, a yarn knitted in each- Wale of a course, and two yarns knitted in intervening wales only and floated over alternate wales, each of said last-named yarns being individual to a course, the stitches of the second and fifth courses being relatively long and loose and the stitches of the third and sixth courses being short and tight, and

-the stitches-of the rst` and fourth courses comprising stitches approximately as long as those -of the second and fifth courses together with stitches approximately as short as those of the third and sixth courses.

' 5. A fabric as in claim 4, the long and short stitches of the first and fourth courses .being arranged in one-and-one relation in the course.

6. A non-run knitted fabric having a rowl all the lstitches of a course of short tight stitches together With alternate tight stitches of asecond-course, and a row of adjacent loose stitches including all the stitches of a course 5 of loose stitches together With the loose intervening stitches of said second course.

7. A non-run knitted fabric as in claim 6, in which all the stitches of the first and third-named courses are connected by floats extending across a Wale.

8. A non-run knitted fabric as in claim 6, in which all the stitches of the first and third-named courses are connected by floats extending acro ay Wale, the floats of said first-named course and said third-named course occurring respectively in different Wales and therefore being in staggered relation. y

. 9. A knitted fabric having herein a group of courses providing a roW of stitches including all the stitches of a course of short tight stitches together with alternate tight stitches of a Ysecond course, and a roW of adjacent loose stitches' including all the stitches of a course of loose stitches together with the loose intervening stitches of said second course.

10. A knitted fabric as in claim 9, in which all the stitches of the first and third-named courses are connected by ioats extending across a Wale.

1l. A knitted fabric as in claim 9, in which all the stitches of the first and third-named courses are connected by ioats extending across a Wale, the floats of said first-named 95 course and said third-named course occurring respectively in different Wales and therefore being in staggered relation.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.`

4o DAVID SIEGEL. 

